[KimS]

With winter and the holidays coming up, lots of nut recipe requests will probably be coming the the forefront. I thought today would be a good day to start this thread with a small overview of both the benefits and warnings of nuts.

http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1743

They have good-quality protein and are even higher in fats (as oils) than the seeds. Because of that, they are more caloric than other vegetable foods (remember, each gram of fat has nine calories, over twice that of protein or carbohydrate), so they are not a food that should be eaten in abundance unless we are trying to gain weight.

Because of the spoilage problem of these oil-rich nuts, picking or buying the fresh, raw, unshelled (with shells) nuts are the best. They will store longer than any other. Once the shells are removed, nuts should be kept in closed containers or plastic bags in the refrigerator or even the freezer. If left out in containers or bags, they should be eaten within a month. Nuts will store longer in a cool, dry place in closed containers than left in the air or in damp areas. Roasted, salted nuts are best avoided. The salt is not needed, and roasting affects the oils and decreases the B vitamin and mineral content.

Many people have some trouble digesting nuts because of the high fat content, which is even worse after roasting. The nut foods are not the easiest to digest; this is true especially in people with low stomach acid or gallbladder problems. Overweight individuals with gallstone or gallbladder disease often have difficulty digesting fatty foods in general. To process the nuts in our body, we usually need a good level of hydrochloric acid, fat-digesting enzymes ( lipases ), and bile secreted by our gallbladder and liver.

A nut-seed blended mix such as almonds-sunflower-sesame with a little added sea salt can be kept in a jar in the refrigerator and used as a protein seasoning.

Total fat content varies, from peanuts at 50 percent to pecans (and macadamias), the richest, at 70 percent fat. The protein content of nuts is very good, with a fairly balanced amino acid distribution

Most nuts have a general cross section of the B vitamins but are not real high in any, though peanuts are pretty rich in niacin. They are, however, very well endowed with the minerals, particularly potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and other trace minerals. Nuts are very low in sodium when unsalted, and some nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, and pecans, even have some selenium.

The site, above, then goes into specific nuts and is well worth reading the whole page.

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals....ed_organic.htm

Traditional people always soaked or partially sprouted their seed and nuts before they were eaten. This is because nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess. Nuts are easier to digest and their nutrients are more readily available if they are first soaked overnight in water and then dried. This method imitates the Aztec practice of soaking pumpkin and squash seeds and drying them in the sun before eating whole or grinding them into a meal. Soaking the nuts and seeds in water neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors and can increase the vitamin and mineral content.

Also a site that is packed full of information, as well as selling pre-soaked nuts. It goes into detail about nuts that the other site doesn't cover.

http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_fo...uts_common.htm

I haven't had time to read this one yet... but it looks really good too, so I thought I'd post it as well.

[KimS]

Now, after posting the quotes about cooked nuts not being as good for you... Of course, I have to post a roasted nut recipe!


Recipe #1 - General Salty nuts
Nuts - any kind
Oil - I like grapeseed or safflower because they're pretty tasteless.
Sea Salt

Spread nuts on a pan in a single layer
Drizzle oil sparingly over nuts. No puddles please.
Stir the nuts around with your fingers to spread the oil around some more.
Sprinkle with sea salt... like you might sprinkle your dinner.
Finger stir, again
Sprinkle sea salt, again
Finger stir and then spread out on the pan, again.

Bake at 200F for 10 or 15 minutes (depending on the nut - some take longer than others to soften a bit).
Stir and spread again. Bake for another 10 or 15 minutes.

Cool. Enjoy. Place the remainder in a glass canning jar and keep it in the fridge.

When company comes over, they always seem to love the nuts! Not just me... but the nuts that I bake.

Recipe #2 - Spicey Walnuts or Pecans

Walnuts or Pecans (sometimes I get really wild and mix them up! )
Oil
Sea Salt
Turmeric
Cayenne

Same directions as for above.

The turmeric should be a lighter sprinkling than the sea salt, as you do not want it to overtake the flavour of the salt.

The cayenne should be even more lightly sprinkled. Then your second batch, you can go heavier or lighter with the flavours that you prefer.

Special Note: For some people who find nuts hard to digest, soaking them overnight first may be helpful.

I'm going to try soaking some almonds for two nights just to see how they do after practically sprouting.